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Highlights from opening rounds of Colton Holly Memorial Tourney

Wilsonville wrestlers hosted and competed against Pendleton, Barlow, Lake Oswego in open matchups

Wilsonville—The Wildcats hosted several teams over the weekend for the Colton Holly Memorial Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 20. The various teams that attended included Beaverton, Canby, Silverton, and Lake Oswego. Wilsonville, over the first three rounds, squared off against Pendleton, Barlow, and Lake Oswego.

Against Pendleton, Wilsonville picked up some big victories. Senior Andrew Gay picked up an impressive pin in the second round against Pendleton's Aiden Patterson with nine seconds left. Perry Rodenbeck, Noah Ochs, and Drafis Senter also picked up pins en route to the Wildcats getting the win as a team overall 39-34.

In the second round, Wilsonville took on the Barlow Bruins. Things got started off on a good note for the Wildcats (following a forfeit victory awarded to Adzel Villanueva). Freshman Caleb Wilde got and maintained back control against his opponent, Barlow's Cole Kruesi, and was working a guillotine hold before the end of the first round. Once the second round got started, Wilde snapped Kruesi's head down, worked into back control once more, and found the pin.

Isaac Quesada had an impressive showing, getting the pin against Barlow's Logan Masoumpanah in just one minute and fourteen seconds.

Rodenbeck got his nose scratched up on a takedown attempt, and after cleaning the blood from his face, went right back to work. The Wilsonville representative got the single leg takedown against Houston Simmet and the pin came in short order at 1:56 of the first round.

Wilsonville's Brandon Matthews picked up a lightning quick pin at just 17 seconds into the match.

Wildcat senior Cheranimo Simina utilized a lower center of gravity to muscle a belly to belly throw successfully. Shortly after the tossing Barlow's Mikee Long to the mat, Simina got the pin at 1:12 of the first round.

Sophomore Noah Ochs won Wilsonville's last match of the dual, earning a decision against Barlow's Ayden Hendrie. When all matches had been completed, Wilsonville topped Barlow 45-27.

"(They're) competing well," head coach Jason Milham said. "We want them to compete, get out there and support each other as a team. A dual meet is all about the team, and so how one guys does impacts the other so they're supporting each other well and competing and that's what we want."

In the final preliminary match up, Wilsonville took on the Lake Oswego Lakers, and won handily by a margin of 54-17.

"I definitely don't expect to go out there and bully them," Matthews said. "I definitely expect a well fought out match. If it comes to the quick match, there it is. I want and expect to do what I'm trained to do: wrestle a six minute match. If it comes to a pin, it comes to a pin."

In one of the more hard fought matchups, Wilsonville's Wyatt Miller defeated Vinnie Chestnut on points, getting the nod 7-2 after six hard fought minutes. In the first round, Chestnut and Miller were scrambling, each pursuing the advantage a collision left Chestnut on the mat slow to get to his feet. Injury time was called, and after being checked out by the coaching staff, Chestnut got back in the match. Miller secured a takedown with 20 seconds left to go in the first round and was up on the scoreboard after two minutes.

In the second round, Miller had to fend off an aggressive Vinnie Chestnut. Chestnut pursued the clinch and takedowns like his competitive career depended on it, and by the end of the second round, both participants were bloodied. Miller had blood coming out of his nose, and there was blood on the lips of Chestnut. In the third round, Miller dragged Chestnut to the mat with a minute to go and established back control. At the end of the round, Miller fought off a takedown ended the match on top.

At the end of it all, Miller had the nod 2-7.

"It's the best feeling in the world," Miller said of his win. "When you're down against a really tough guy like Vinnie, and you come out and do your best, that's the best feeling in the world. To finish on top, break him, and make him never want to wrestle again."

Wilsonville would go on to defeat Beaverton 39-35, but would falter against 6A standouts Canby Cougars in the finals 55-21.